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Notable African Americans who helped pave the way

Person list created by Dj Levels

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Quincy Jones

Did you know that super-producer Quincy Jones has racked up more Grammy nominations than any other person in the award show's history? He's been nominated a whopping 79 times! He and Alison Krauss are tied for the second most Grammy wins (27) after conductor Georg Solti (31).

Hattie McDaniel

"Gone With the Wind" star Hattie McDaniel won the Academy Award for best supporting actress in 1940 for her performance as Mammy in the classic film -- making her the first African American to take home an Oscar.

Sterling K. Brown

Sterling K. Brown made history during the 2018 Golden Globes when he became the first Black man to win the award for best performance by a male actor on a TV drama for his work on "This Is Us." Two weeks later, during the 2018 SAG Awards, he made history for the second time when he became the first Black man to win the award for outstanding performance by a male actor on a drama series.

Cardi B

Cardi B made history at the 2019 Grammy Awards when she won the best rap album prize for her debut album, "Invasion of Privacy." Lauryn Hill was the first and until now only woman to claim the award (she won the prize in 1997 as part of hip-hop group the Fugees), but Cardi is the first solo female artist to take home the honor since the Recording Academy started handing it out in 1996.

Tyra Banks

Didn't every teen boy have that iconic poster of Tyra Banks in a bikini on his wall?! As the first Black woman to grace the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, which she did in 1996 and again in 1997, Tyra set a new precedent for Black models. "Black women have always been these vixens, these animalistic erotic women," she's said. "Why can't we just be the sexy American girl next door?"

Donald Glover

Donald Glover made history during the 2017 Emmys when he became the first Black person to win the award for outstanding directing for a comedy series for his work on "Atlanta." The same night, he also took home the Emmy for best lead actor on a comedy series for his performance on the FX dramedy.

Donald Glover made history in February 2019 when, as his music alter-ego Childish Gambino, he became the first hip-hop artist ever to win the song of the year prize and the record of the year award at the Grammys, for his critically acclaimed song "This Is America." It's significant and groundbreaking as it marks the first time a hip-hop song has received either honor.

Shonda Rhimes

Shonda Rhimes has made television history not once but twice (more on that next). The writer-producer became the highest paid showrunner in Hollywood when she signed a multimillion-dollar deal with Netflix in 2018, she confirmed while speaking at ELLE's 25th Annual Women in Hollywood celebration that October. Though she didn't disclose how much she was earning, she did share that the figure that had been reported -- a $100 million salary -- was incorrect. Considering peer Ryan Murphy signed a $300 million deal with Netflix, and Greg Berlanti signed a $400 million overall deal extension with Warner Bros. Television, we know it's got to be more than that! "When Ryan made his amazing deal with Netflix, what did he do? He shouted his salary to the world...," Shonda said. "When I made a deal with Netflix, I let them report my salary wrong in the press, and then I did as few interviews as possible and I put my head down and worked..." She then announced, earning herself a standing ovation, "I am the highest paid showrunner in television."

And she makes the list again: Few TV writers and producers have the kind of name recognition that Shonda Rhimes can boast. The "TGIT" showrunner -- famous for "Scandal," "Grey's Anatomy," "How To Get Away With Murder" and more -- made history when she became the first Black woman to create and executive produce three television shows among TV's top 10.

Kerry Washington

Actress Kerry Washington became the first African American woman to headline a network TV drama since 1974 (Teresa Graves paved the way when she starred as an undercover cop on "Get Christie Love!" in 1974-1975) when Shonda Rhimes' "Scandal" premiered on ABC in 2012. Kerry played fixer Olivia Pope on the political drama.

Arsenio Hall

In 1989, Arsenio Hall became the first Black late-night TV host when his program, "The Arsenio Hall Show," premiered. The series lasted for five seasons.

Simone Biles

Simone Biles made history as both a woman and as a person of color when she took home her fourth gymnastics world championship title in 2018. The Olympic gold medal winner became the first woman to win four all-around world titles after previously winning in 2013, 2014 and 2015. Then in October 2019, she won her 21st medal at the world gymnastics championships, making her the most decorated female gymnast in history.

Samira Wiley

History was made at the Creative Arts Emmys in 2018 when Black performers swept all four guest-acting categories. Samira Wiley won best guest actress in a drama for "The Handmaid's Tale," Tiffany Haddish won best guest actress in a comedy for hosting "Saturday Night Live," Ron Cephas Jones won best guest actor in a drama for "This Is Us," and Katt Williams won best guest actor in a comedy for "Atlanta." Excellence!

Diahann Carroll

Singer-actress Diahann Carroll broke one of the biggest barriers in entertainment when she become the first Black woman to star on a network television series -- NBC's "Julia" -- in 1968. In 1962, she also became the first African American woman to win a Tony Award.

Viola Davis

Viola Davis made history during the 2015 Emmy Awards when she became the first Black woman to win the prize for outstanding lead actress in a drama series. She took home the Emmy for her performance on "How to Get Away with Murder."

Ava DuVernay

In 2016, Ava DuVernay became the first Black female director to helm a film with a budget of more than $100M when she was selected by Disney to direct an adaptation of "A Wrinkle in Time." It wasn't the first time she made history wither: In 2012, Ava became the first Black woman to win the best director award during the Sundance Film Festival (for her film "Middle of Nowhere"). On top of all that, in 2017, Ava became the first Black woman to receive an Oscar nomination for best documentary feature. That nod was for "13th," which she wrote, directed and produced.

The Weeknd

In 2015, pop-R&B singer The Weeknd became the first artist in history to claim the top three spots on Billboard's Hot R&B Songs chart with "Earned It" at No. 3, "The Hills" at No. 2 and "Can't Feel My Face" at No. 1. Talk about a Starboy!

Gabby Douglas

Gabby Douglas shattered a ceiling when she won an Olympic gold medal in the all-around gymnastics competition in 2012: She's the first woman of color of any nationality and the first African American gymnast in Olympic history to do it!

Sidney Poitier

Sidney Poitier became the first African American to win an Academy Award for best actor when he took home the prize for his performance in "Lilies of the Field" in 1964.

Mary J. Blige

Mary J. Blige made history in 2018 when she became the first person ever -- regardless of race or gender -- to earn Oscar nominations for both acting and original song during a single year. The Academy recognized the singer-actress for her performance as Florence Jackson in "Mudbound" and also for co-writing the original song "Mighty River," which she sings in the drama. (The double nominations make her the first Black woman to receive multiple Oscar nominations in the same year.)

Misty Copeland

In 2015, Misty Copeland became the first woman of color to serve as a principal dancer at the American Ballet Theatre. "Being one of the few African American women to make it to this level in a classical ballet company, the level of American Ballet Theatre, takes a lot of perseverance," she told the Washington Post.

Lena Waithe

During the 2017 Emmys on Sept. 18, Lena Waithe became the first Black woman to win an Emmy for outstanding writing for a comedy series. She shared the award with colleague Aziz Ansari for their work on his show "Master of None."

Toni Morrison

In 1993, author Toni Morrison became the first African American and eighth woman to win the prestigious Nobel Prize for Literature.

Tamron Hall

Tamron Hall made history on the "Today" show when, in 2014, she became the first African American woman to serve as a co-anchor in the show's 65-year history. She's since left the network where she worked for a decade, declining to renew her contract in late January 2017 in the wake of the news that she and Al Roker would no longer be hosting the third hour of "Today" after former FOX News star Megyn Kelly (briefly) joined the network.

Quvenzhané Wallis

Child actress Quvenzhané Wallis goes down in history as the Oscars' youngest ever best actress nominee. She was 9 when she received the nod for her performance in "Beasts of the Southern Wild."

Tony Dungy

Former NFL coach Tony Dungy made history during Super Bowl XLI in 2007 when he led the Indianapolis Colts to a championship and became the first African American head coach to win a ring.

Ella Fitzgerald

Ella Fitzgerald became the first Black female Grammy winner in 1958 when she won the awards for best jazz performance and best female pop vocal performance for her work on the album "Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Duke Ellington Songbook."

Nat King Cole

Nat King Cole became the first African American network television host when his show, "The Nat King Cole Show," debuted on NBC in 1956. The series ended one year later, due to a lack of sponsorship. Nat commented at the time, "Madison Avenue is afraid of the dark."

Keke Palmer

Keke Palmer broke barriers in 2014 by becoming the first Black woman to play Cinderella on Broadway.

Cheryl Boone Isaacs

Mo'ne Davis

Rihanna

In March 2015, Rihanna became the first Black face of Dior. "It feels fantastic," she told MTV of the milestone. "It is such a big deal for me, for my culture, for a lot of young girls of any color."

Lupita Nyong'o

Lupita Nyong'o makes this list because in 2014, she became the first Black woman to be named as a brand ambassador for Lancôme.

Barack Obama

John Singleton

Director John Singleton, who passed away in 2019, is remembered for his groundbreaking 1991 film "Boyz n the Hood," which he wrote and directed. At 24, he earned an Academy Award nomination for best director, making him both the youngest person ever as well as the first African American person to be nominated in that category.

Beyoncé Knowles

Beyhive, rejoice! Beyonce is the most nominated female artist in Grammys history thanks to a whopping 79 nods as of 2021. Her nominations (which have delivered 24 wins so far) have come as both a solo artist, as a member of Destiny's Child and as half of The Carters.

Kamala Harris

On Jan. 20, 2021, former California attorney general and senator Kamala Harris became not only America's first female vice president but the country's first Black and first South Asian woman vice president when she took the oath of office on the steps of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. In 2020, the Democrat from California -- who is serving her country alongside President Joe Biden -- also became the first woman of color on a U.S. presidential ticket for a major party -- ever.

Kendrick Lamar

In 2018, music star Kendrick Lamar became the first rapper to ever win the Pulitzer Prize for music. He did it with his 2017 album "DAMN.," becoming the first music winner in the 100-year history of the Pulitzers who did not come from the classical or jazz worlds. The prize board praised his album as "a virtuosic song collection unified by its vernacular authenticity and rhythmic dynamism that offers affecting vignettes capturing the complexity of modern African American life."

Kobe Bryant

In January 1997 at 18, Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant became the youngest player to ever start in an NBA game. (He was also the youngest to start in an All-Star game.) Kobe scored the most points in a single NBA game in the modern era -- a record he set in January 2006 when he finished with a whopping 81 points against the Toronto Raptors. During his career, Mamba scored 33,643 points and sunk 8,378 free throws -- more than any other guard in NBA history. But he's also made Hollywood history: In 2018, Kobe -- who tragically died in a January 2020 helicopter accident along with eight others including his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna -- took home an Academy Award for best animated short for "Dear Basketball," making him the only professional athlete to ever win a basketball championship and an Oscar.

Halle Berry

Halle Berry won the Oscar for best actress in 2002 for her performance in "Monster's Ball" -- she's the first and, so far, only Black woman to receive the honor. "This moment is so much bigger than me. This moment is for Dorothy Dandridge, Lena Horne, Diahann Carroll. It's for the women that stand beside me, Jada Pinkett, Angela Bassett, Vivica Fox," she said in her acceptance speech. "And it's for every nameless, faceless woman of color that now has a chance because this door tonight has been opened."

Billy Porter

Broadway singer-actor and "Pose" star Billy Porter made history at the 2019 Emmy Awards when he became the first openly gay Black actor to win outstanding lead actor in a drama series (and he did it on his first Emmy nomination!).

Spike Lee

On Jan. 12, 2021, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association named Jackson and Satchel Lee -- filmmaker Spike Lee's children with producer Tonya Lewis Lee -- as its 2021 Golden Globe Ambassadors (an honor previously known as Miss or Mr. Golden Globe). Not only are they the first Black siblings named to the position, but Jackson is the first Black male ambassador in Golden Globes history.

Javicia Leslie

On July 8, 2020, The CW and Berlanti Productions announced that Javicia Leslie had been cast as the new star of TV's "Batwoman" following Ruby Rose's exit, making her the first Black actress to portray the character in a live-action television or film production. "I am extremely proud to be the first Black actress to play the iconic role of Batwoman on television, and as a bisexual woman, I am honored to join this groundbreaking show which has been such a trailblazer for the LGBTQ+ community," Javicia said in a statement.

Lloyd Austin

In January 2021, President Joe Biden tapped Lloyd Austin to join his cabinet. On Jan. 22, the retired four-star Army general was confirmed by the Senate -- making him the first Black secretary of defense in U.S. history.

Denzel Washington

Did you know that Denzel Washington is the first African American star to win two Oscars? He took home the Academy Award for best supporting actor in 1990 for his work in "Glory" and the best lead actor prize in 2002 for his performance in "Training Day."

Vanessa L. Williams

Vanessa Williams made history in 1983 when she was crowned Miss America -- the first Black woman to ever win the pageant. Sadly, her reign was cut short when photos of Vanessa not wearing any clothes surfaced, causing a storm of controversy. She was forced to resign in 1984 and runner-up Suzette Charles, who was also a Black woman, took over the title. Miss America CEO Sam Haskell offered Vanessa a public apology in 2016, 32 years later.

Lil Nas X

Who hasn't blasted "Old Town Road"?! In the summer of 2019, Lil Nas X's remixed country-rap track, which also features hitmaker Billy Ray Cyrus, set a new record when it became the longest running No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, topping the chart for an incredible 19 consecutive weeks. Further, the Grammy winner's hit achieved Diamond status in October 2019 (which means it moved 10 million certified units), hitting the sales milestone faster than any other song.

Rachel Lindsay

Attorney Rachel Lindsay made history in 2017 when she was cast as the lead on ABC's hit reality show "The Bachelorette." The move made her the first Black star to topline the hit reality franchise. Three years later, ABC cast its first Black leading man on the show's counterpart…

Matt James

In June 2020, ABC announced that real estate broker, entrepreneur and community organization founder Matt James would be the next star of "The Bachelor," making him the hit franchise's first ever Black leading man when his season debuted in January 2021.

Cicely Tyson

Cicely Tyson, who died at 96 in January 2021, became the first Black woman to earn an honorary Oscar when she took home the trophy at the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences' Governors Awards in 2018. "I don't know that I would cherish a better gift," the legend said during her acceptance speech. "This is the culmination of all those years of haves and have not."

Chadwick Boseman

Wilton Gregory

In November 2020, Archbishop Wilton Gregory of Washington, D.C. -- already the highest ranking African American Catholic in U.S. history -- became the Catholic Church's first African American cardinal. As such, he'll be one of Pope Francis's closest advisers and one of about 120 men who will someday elect the faith's next pontiff. "It's been a time to thank God for this unique moment in my life and in the life of the church in the United States," he told CNN. "I hope it's a sign to the African American community that the Catholic Church has a great reverence, respect and esteem for the people, for my people of color."

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